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The seventh-seeded Texas A&M Aggies take on the tenth-seeded Missouri Tigers in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday, March 12, in Nashville.
Led by head coach Buzz Williams, the Aggies are 16-14 on the season (10-8 in the SEC). Meanwhile, the Missouri Tigers are 15-16 (7-11 in the SEC).
These teams faced off twice already this season, both ending in victories for the Aggies. On Jan. 24, the Aggies defeated the Tigers 66-64 in a nail-biter in Missouri. Not long after, the Aggies again defeated Missouri in College Station by 17 points.
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On the surface
Texas A&M is the best team in the SEC in terms of points allowed per game. This defense is headed by senior forward Josh Nebo, who averages 6.2 rebounds per game and prevents second-chance points. Missouri, on the other hand, does not rank in the top five in the SEC in any statistical category except for free-throw percentage. The Tigers rank first in the SEC from the free-throw line.
The Aggie’s leading scorer this season is Nebo. The senior forward from Houston, Texas averages 12.5 points per game. Nebo also leads the team in rebound average with 6.2 per game. Dru Smith leads the Missouri Tigers in points, rebounds and assists per game. Smith posts an average of 12.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, and led the SEC in steals with 64.
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Both Texas A&M and Missouri’s rosters have three players who average over 10 points per game. Both teams also have around the same average experience on their roster, according to sports-reference.com.
The winner of this second-round game has the daunting task of taking on the second-seeded Auburn Tigers the next day. Auburn earned a double-bye in the SEC Tournament, and likely will be more rested than the winner of Missouri versus Texas A&M. Auburn, led by head coach Bruce Pearl, is the 25th ranked offensive team in the country.
Coverage
Tip-off of Wednesday’s SEC Tournament matchup between Texas A&M and Missouri is at 7 p.m. ET. Television coverage can be found on the SEC Network.
